Change
by rowergal
Summary: A rewrite  with permission  of Bit of a Change by esama. Yugi shows mercy to even his worst enemies. His friends are not as forgiving.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters, setting, and even the original idea for this story all belong to other people (the last belongs to esama, if you're wondering).

CHANGE

Prologue

Yugi was tired. So, so tired. It was hard to believe a mere to weeks had passed. In his mind it seemed much longer. How long had it been since he had smiled a true smile? How long since he had laughed? Did he even laugh? He was drowning in such intense sadness and bitterness it was hard to remember that he had once been happy. Yugi sighed sadly, and a soft rustling drew him from his musings back to Earth. He was in his room, standing before his bed. Carefully, he took a seat on the bed, his hand searching of its own accord for the snow-white hair of one of the bed's occupants.

Stroking the long, soft hair, he wondered how it had come to this. He knew the series of events, of course - he had been there. What he didn't know was how that series of events had changed loving, caring people into heartless beings, ready to condone and even carry out the murder of innocents. Hadn't he shown each and every one of his now no longer friends mercy in the past, when they were still enemies? For Anzu it had been when she'd broken his Gameboy in school-he'd brought in another one the next day, accepted her apology, and proceeded to teach her how to play. Jounouchi and Honda had tormented him constantly, but he defended them from Ushio and gained their friendship. The fight against Malik and his darker half was impossible to sum up, save to say that after a difficult battle the other Yugi - the pharaoh - had triumphed, and Yugi won himself three new friends in the form of the Ishtal siblings.

And that was the heart of his problem. A few weeks after Battle City, Ishizu had telephoned the Kame game shop asking to speak to Yugi about an urgent matter. She told him that she had found, among the scrolls of the Tomb Keepers, a ritual that with the proper adjustments might give a spirit possessing a human a body of its own. She wished to preform the ritual on Malik, Bakura, and Yugi so that the darks of the former two could receive just punishment for the havoc and pain they had caused, and the latter could live as a normal human among his friends. She and her brothers were coming to Domino with Shadi and everything was going to be perfect. Except it wasn't.

The ritual was flawed. The spirits, rather than emerging the same age as their hosts, became young children with fractured memories. They looked to be two or three years old. The pharaoh was immediately picked up Ishizu, who displayed a maternal warmth none save her brothers could have possibly known she possessed. It was agreed that the Ishtals would take the pharaoh to be raised in his home country. But what to do with Malik and Bakura's dark's? Yugi assumed they'd be dropped off at an orphanage. His companions had other ideas. Jounouchi and Honda said they would rather see the child-darks dropped off the nearest bridge, with a couple rocks to weigh them down. Soft-hearted Anzu agreed, which shocked Yugi. He could understand Bakura and Malik's fear of the child-darks, but Anzu? A murderer? So he decided to shock them all back.

Yugi used the backbone he'd picked up from the pharaoh and argued passionately in the toddlers' defense. His pleas fell on deaf ears. So he did the only thing his conscience would allow him to do. After giving the child-pharaoh a brief hug, he placed Bakura's dark on one hip and Malik's dark on the other, turned his back on his friends, and began the long walk home.

The golden-haired child whimpered. Yugi shifted on the bed and switched from stroking one dark's hair to the other's. "Finally got them asleep?"

"Oh, Grandpa, I didn't see you there." Yugi looked up to the sole person who had not shunned him because of his decision, the sole person who was, in fact, proud of him. His grandfather had been his rock before he had friends, and Sugoroku seemed determined to fill that role again.

The old man gestured at the door he'd just come through. "Let's go sit in the kitchen with a cup of tea." Yugi acquiesced with a nod and got up to follow Sugoroku out, careful not to disturb the sleeping children. They walked to the kitchen in silence, and the silence remained until the old man served them both tea. Sugoroku was the first to speak. "How long did it take you to get them to sleep?"

"Maybe an hour after getting them into bed. They were hiding underneath it again, scared to death. I had to coax them out first."

"Ah, sorry about that. I used the vacuum cleaner earlier today in the shop. The noise must be what scared them." Sugoroku paused to take a sip of tea. "Well, at least they're starting to trust you."

"How do you figure that?" Yugi queried. "You were able to convince them to leave their hiding spot, instead of having to wait until they had fallen asleep to move them. I still have to do that while you're away at school." Sugoroku sighed. "It's a pity, young children having such horrible nightmares..."

"I know, but what can we do? Even with their memories hazed up by the ceremony, the things they've seen and done are too horrible for most adults to comprehend, never mind two-year-olds. Yugi hugged himself, trying to ward off the cold feelings that engulfed him. Sadness, bitterness, and an emptiness where his dearest friend should have been. Yugi reached out as he was accustomed to, though whether it was with his heart or mind he didn't know. It didn't matter anyway as he found nothing. His anguish must have shown on his face, because Sugoroku asked, "Yugi, are you alright?"

"Sorry Grandpa, just thinking. Everything's fine. What were you saying?" The look on the old gambler's face said he knew Yugi was lying, but would go along with it anyway. "I was asking how school was."

"Okay." This was another lie. School was awful. Yugi had never been a good student. At first it was because he tried to blend in by hiding his true intellect. Later, after he'd given up on ever having normal friends, he allowed his grades to fall so larger kids would stop threatening him to get him to do their work. Besides, games were much more fun than homework.

So naturally, the teachers hated him. The people who disliked anyone weak or different hated him. His former friends hated him and, because they were no longer with him, the bullies were closing in.

"I can't go on like this," Yugi murmured, staring into his tea as if he might find the answer to all his problems in it.

"Then don't."

"Grandpa? What... What do you mean?" Sugoroku set down his tea and stared straight into his grandson's eyes. Yugi was suddenly reminded that the man before him was not only a simple shopkeeper, but also the only person in three thousand years to enter the tomb of the nameless pharaoh and return alive. "Yugi," Sugoroku said gravely, "You are my only grandchild and I have considered you my only living relative since your mother left you with me. There are no words that can tell you how proud I am of you, for the trials you've faced and overcome, for the choices you've made, but more importantly, there is no way I can express how much I love you. Whatever you need to do, I will assist you. Just don't give up."

Yugi was stunned. Slowly he stammered, "I won't, Grandpa." Voice growing stronger, he said, "I will keep these children. I will raise them right, make them Mutos. But I can't do it here." A proud smile grew on Sugoroku's face, and he asked, "Where will you go, Yugi?"

"I don't know. I need to get away from Domino, that's for certain, but I don't know where to go."

"What kind of place are you thinking of?"

"Somewhere where I don't have to deal with being the 'King of Games', for one. If I'm going to turn these darks into decent people they need to grow up in an environment, not a place where their guardian is both laughed at and revered for playing a children's card game, and being inordinately good at it."

"Then you'll probably have to leave Japan entirely. How are your languages coming along?"

"My English is passable. Arabic, not so much. Those are the only two I've practiced recently." Yugi had begun learning both languages and a smattering of some others as a child. Back then, he wanted to explore and find treasure. More recently, he imagined himself as a traveling duelist. Now, neither dream entered his head. He had a responsibility to the frightened toddlers upstairs, and he would never let them down.

Sugoroku saw the resolve in his grandson's eyes, and his heart nearly burst with pride. The boy was nothing like his parents. Sugoroku's daughter was a singer who'd dropped Yugi off with her father before running off to who-knows-where, returning only every few years and pretending she was a passable parent. Neither of them had ever met Yugi's father. He had never tried to contact his son, though a sizable amount of money was deposited in an account Yugi's mother set up in her son's name every month, so he knew Yugi existed. Neither Yugi nor Sugoroku were the type to be bought off, and had never touched it. But in a situation like this...

As Sugoroku expected, Yugi vehemently protested using his father's money to set himself up in a foreign country. "Yugi," the old man said, "I know you are an honorable person and don't want to indulge your father's attempts to make up to us. Normally, I would agree with you. However, you must remember that you aren't doing this for yourself. You're doing it for the frightened children in your bedroom. You gave the Duelist Kingdom money to Jounouchi for Shizuka. You've put the rest of your tournament winnings into this shop. Your college account isn't big enough for the kind of undertaking we're proposing. When you said you'd raise those kids you were accepting a lot of hardship and unpleasantness. This is just the tip of the iceberg."

"I know, Grandpa. I'm not going to give up. I suppose I should be happy, actually. With it, I can give those darks what you've given me. A happy childhood."

Sugoroku got up from the table and walked around it to hug his grandson, a gesture Yugi returned. When he stepped back he had to wipe his eyes, and realized that Yugi's were also brimming with unshed tears, even though he was smiling. He had no idea what to say.

"Well, before all this sweetness makes us diabetic, help me figure out where I should take them."

Sugoroku laughed. "Well, if we're looking at English speaking countries, I know people who could help in America, Australia, Britain... maybe a few other places if I did some digging."

"'Magic and Wizards' was an American game, so that rules out that continent. It's been picked up in Australia, too, so that may not be the wisest idea. I think Britain sounds good, though." Yugi looked thoughtful. "Yes, Britain will be just right. But Grandpa, how will we get documentation for the darks? They appeared out of thin air."

"You leave that to me, my boy. With a little help from some old friends, I'll have you three on a plane to London within a month."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters, setting, and even the original idea for this story all belong to other people (the last belongs to esama, if you're wondering).

CHANGE

Chapter 1: A New Home

Sugoroku kept his word. The night of the conversation, he contacted an old friend who happened to owe him several large favors. Yugi didn't know the details of what passed between the two, but in a couple of weeks he had not only his own papers, but those for a Muto Marik and a Muto Bakura as well. He'd chosen the boys' names on a whim, but the more he thought about it, the more fitting they seemed.

The boys seemed to like their names. Or at least they would respond when called. The type of response depended on who was addressing them. They often ran and hid when Sugoroku spoke to them, but as days went by their trust in Yugi grew.

.-.-.-.-.-.

That trust was tested at the airport. The darks were quiet as Sugoroku drove to Domino International. They had only been out of the game shop on the night of the ceremony. The outside world in the daytime was much brighter and busier. As much as he tried to relax, Yugi was feeling very tense, and he was sure the darks were picking up on his mood. They had been edgy all day, since Yugi woke them up dressed very differently from usual.

In an attempt to avoid being recognized as the King of Games, Yugi had pulled his gravity defying hair into a ponytail and wore jeans and a plain white t-shirt instead of his usual eye-catching leather ensemble. He still didn't look 'normal,' but then very few people in Domino did. He had dressed the boys in some of the more comfortable clothes Sugoroku had purchased for them.

Curious glances – mostly belonging to non-Domino natives – followed the four Mutos through the airport. These glances became annoyed when Marik or Bakura began to cry or whine. Scared by nearly everything they saw and heard, this happened quite often.

When they settled down enough to fall asleep on the plane, Yugi breathed a sigh of relief. The flight was uneventful. The most exciting moments were when someone getting up to stretch their legs would stop by, either to complain about Marik and Bakura's noise or remark on how cute they were as they both cuddled in Yugi's lap.

These comments surprised Yugi. Thinking of the darks as cute seemed… not wrong, because they honestly were, but strange. He spent a majority of the long flight to London trying to reconcile the horrifying mental images of dark Malik and dark Bakura with the actuality of the children asleep in his lap.

Yugi had sworn he'd raise the darks, but when he said that, he was truly thinking of teaching them right from wrong, and instilling in them the moral lessons they'd missed or ignored in their previous lives.

This reconciliation made him realize just what he was getting into. He had known, of course, that he'd have to feed them and clothe them and bathe them, but he never thought about finding out their favorite foods, favorite colors, or if they would like bubble baths just as much as he did as a child. Quietly, he said to the sleeping children, "I'm sorry. I promise, from now on, that I'll be better. You won't be spoiled, but you'll have toys and good food. And you'll have me." Yugi paused, deep in thought. "But what will I be?" he whispered, more to himself than the slumbering darks. "I'm too young to be a father and I don't know how to be a brother..." His heart contracted painfully at that last word. In his mind, the definition of brother was always paired with Jounouchi Katsuya's determined face as he fought his way through Duelist Kingdom for Kawaii Shizuka.

With a deep breath, Yugi stopped the tears threatening to form. His past friends were just that - the past. The only thing Yugi could do - the only thing he would do - was look forward to create a brighter future.

.-.-.-.-.-.

It took a great deal of willpower for Yugi to keep looking forward, even for the rest of the flight. The many sleepless nights and emotional baggage that came with leaving behind the only home he could remember and the only person who cared about him to make a new life halfway across the globe with two unstable toddlers were catching up to him. However, he could not allow himself to be tired or sad. The boys needed him. They needed him to be strong and alert. Yugi repeated this mantra to himself when he was about to doze off, when the despair threatened to consume him, and even when other passengers made rude comments about the three Mutos' appearances or the younger two's wailing. Little did he know that those words would become the law of his new life for at least the next decade.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Later, Yugi would realize that he had been incredibly lucky to leave Domino without being waylaid by fans or reporters. When he landed at Heathrow, however, he encountered what seemed to be the first fortunate occurrence of the journey in the form of one Damien Sherlock.

After going through Immigration carrying the two overtired, skittish darks and his own carry-on luggage, Yugi, who was quite weary himself, nearly cried with relief to see a helpful-looking grey-haired man with a sign saying 'Yugi Muto' in both Japanese and English writing standing next to luggage he recognized as his own. Apparently sensing imminent collapse on Yugi's part and crying on that of Marik and Bakura, the British man introduced himself briefly but kindly to the teen, showed him a letter Sugoroku had sent as proof of identity, and ushered all three foreigners into his car. He carried the luggage himself.

Out of the hustle and bustle of the airport, Yugi was able to relax a bit. Sensing their guardian's mood, the two darks also calmed down. Soon Bakura was straining against the straps of his car seat, trying to see out the window, and Marik had stopped his silent weeping. He did not, however, release his death grip on Yugi's hand, which meant Yugi took the middle back seat of Damien's car and the largest piece of luggage got the front. Incredibly glad that it was almost all behind him, Yugi heaved a sigh of relief.

Damien heard him, and took that as an invitation for conversation. "Such bundles of energy, those two," he chuckled, though there was an undertone of worry in his voice. "Is the blond one okay?"

"They aren't used to crowds. Bakura gets over things quicker as he has the benefit of curiosity, but Marik is still a bit too..." What was the gentler word for mentally unstable?

"Shy?" Damien suggested. Yugi nodded briefly, and smiled at Bakura's yelp of surprise upon seeing a double-decker bus. No need to scare off the only person I know in this entire country with the whole truth, he thought.

"Mr. Sherlock?"

"Damien, please, Yugi. I don't like detective jokes, and as for the Mister, I actually have a PhD in archaeology. But I only use that title when I'm working." Catching on to Damien's cordial tone and remembering that Western cultures had very different ideas of politeness, Yugi acquiesced. Though the detective comment confused him.

"Damien, then. Would you mind telling me what sort of work you do? Grandpa said you were a friend from his traveling days, but he met all sorts of people. I know you just said you had a PhD in archaeology, but what was your specialty?"

Damien laughed. "What do you know! A teenager interested in what an old fossil like me does for a living? Don't worry Yugi, I'm not making fun of you. It's just rare that someone your age displays an honest interest in history. I specialized in historical archaeology in the British Isles, but my passion was Egyptology. I never made it in that field, though, as I'm pretty awful with languages. I met your grandfather while my wife Mirielle and I were vacationing in the States. We were a good bit wilder back then, newly married, and stopped by Vegas. Mostly so we could say we went to Vegas, but I digress."

"Your grandfather was amassing a fortune at the poker tables. I heard him mention that the money was going to take him to the lost tombs of the pharaohs, and couldn't resist. I was all set to lecture him on what little Egyptology I knew, and it turned out he was more of an expert than I! However, I'd heard a few things he claimed were new to him, and he bought Mirielle and I a few drinks and the three of us chatted the night away. Mirielle is a history teacher, and has always loved academic conversation. We kept in touch, and here you are!"

Damien met Yugi's eyes in the rear-view mirror. "I hope you don't mind me asking, Yugi, but how is it that you came to be in this situation? You're sixteen, how did you end up with two two-year-olds? I can tell from your skin and hair that if there's any relation between you three it's pretty distant."

Yugi carefully considered what he should say. When he answered, he spoke very deliberately. "It's not a very happy story. They were in a dangerous situation when

I found them. My original intent was that they should go to an orphanage, but they became attached to me rather quickly, and after seeing how distrustful and fearful they are, I decided I'd rather raise them myself than let them go to a place where they might not receive the attention they need. They have more than their share of problems already. I wish there had been someone else willing to take them, but no one would. "

Damien nodded thoughtfully, but Yugi could tell that he didn't truly understand. That was alright. How could he explain that in a orphanage Marik and Bakura might become even worse than they had been, that in the end the orphanage would be in more trouble than the boys? Damien did not need to know that if Yugi had failed to take Marik and Bakura he would have been party to their murder.

Not wanting to be reminded of his former friends' cruelty, Yugi changed the subject. "So, this house you got for us..." His voice trailed away questioningly. Sugoroku had taken care of everything, sending money to Damien so that a house in a child-friendly neighborhood could be bought and furnished.

"Your new home is in Surrey, in a neighborhood called Little Whinging. The area is very quiet and uniform, almost nothing ever happens there. The house itself is two stories, not counting a small attic. The ground floor has a kitchen, a dining room, a sitting room and a small loo. The first floor has four bedrooms, one small, one large, two in-between, and a full bath. There's also a garage, a greenhouse, and a generous backyard," Damien said. He smiled, and continued, "My wife did most of the furnishing - she's excellent with that sort of thing - and the kitchen has been stocked with food and all the essentials. Of course, if it doesn't suit you, we'd be happy to help change it so it's more to your taste."

"I'm sure it will be fine, and it's very nice of your wife to help," Yugi replied. On the seat beside him, Bakura had finally become bored of watching passing cars. He looked at Marik, who was hugging Yugi's arm in his sleep, and reached for Yugi in a manner that was both bold and shy. Smiling, Yugi wrapped his remaining arm around Bakura's shoulders. It gladdened him every time the still-suspicious boy reached to him for comfort.

"Sugoroku is a close friend to both of us, we're happy to help his grandson." Damien's smile became wider. "And I'm sure Mirielle will want to help anyway, once she meets your... sons. Or do you consider them brothers?"

"Proteges, they're my proteges," Yugi said. The boys would be learning from him, so they were proteges.

"Hmmm... Well in any case, I'm sure Mirielle would love to help."

"I'm glad. I'll need all the help I can get."

.-.-.-.-.-.

The house was almost exactly like all the other homes on the street. Each house was lined up in perfect order, as if they were identically-sized volumes on a bookshelf. Each was the same color, had the same sized yards - even the cars in the driveways were all of similar make, model, and color. After living in a strangely-built, brightly-colored game shop his whole life, the sheer order of his new neighborhood shocked Yugi. He nearly panicked before noticing the house numbers - the only way to differentiate his new home from the rest.

With Bakura on one hip and Marik on the other, Yugi approached Number 6. Hoping the decor would have a bit more personality than the rest of the place, the former duelist followed the former archaeologist to the door.

"'at ours?" Bakura asked Yugi in Japanese. He was staring at the house with curiosity and apprehension, and at Damien who was searching his pockets for the key. "Our new 'ome?"

"Yes, that is our new home," Yugi answered in the same language and tried to ignore the horse-faced woman in the next yard, staring at him and his two proteges. He knew even in clothes toned down from his usual leather look and hair pulled back they were a strange sight; he had tri-colored hair, Bakura's was stark white and partially shaped like horns, and Marik's blonde hair contrasted with his tan skin while defying gravity. Still, his new neighbor's horrified faces were just rude.

Marik muttered something into Yugi's shoulder. "Hm? Can you say that again, Marik?" Yugi said to his Egyptian protege in his heavily accented Arabic, once more reminding himself to begin studying Arabic again.

"'s too white. Bright," Marik said, eyeing the house worriedly.

"Well, let's hope it's not that bright inside, hmm?" As he answered again in Arabic, Yugi began to wonder how many languages would be spoken in the house in the years to come. He'd have to re-teach Marik Japanese, teach Bakura Arabic, and teach both boys English so they could communicate properly. It was lucky Yugi loved languages, or else he'd be in trouble.

"You speak many languages," Damien noted, having finally found the keys.

"I always wanted to travel, like Grandpa did, and I would beat every game he set in front of me, so he eventually gave me foreign language dictionaries to keep me occupied. I haven't studied Arabic recently, though, so I'm going to have to work to become fluent again."

The old man nodded thoughtfully and opened the front door. "I have friends in a few universities. I'll see if I can get you some reading materials."

"That would be very nice of you," Yugi said, following Damien into his new house. Everything was warm brown and beige tones, with the occasional muted red. The carpets, furniture, even the few paintings on the walls matched perfectly and looked to be of nice quality. All in all it wasn't half bad, though clearly a Western-style home, not Japanese.

Marik wrapped his arms around Yugi's neck and hid his face. To him it was probably the most foreign. After all, Malik had grown up in surroundings of stone and sand.

"We put a queen-sized bed in the biggest bedroom and the two medium sized ones have been decorated for the boys, though you may want to adjust the decoration yourself later," Damien said, eyeing Yugi who was gazing around the sitting room.

"So... How do you like it?"

"It's foreign… but it's perfect for us. I can't thank you enough." Yugi's smile lit up the room.

Damien looked rather pleased. "It was nothing, really, we were working on your money after all. Would you like to take a closer look while I unpack your things?"

"Thank you," Yugi said once more, still smiling. Then he started snooping around his new house. The rooms were exactly as Damien had described, and there was a large cupboard under the stairs he could use for additional storage. Two of the bedrooms - the medium-sized ones – were furnished as one might expect for two-year-old boys, but Yugi knew only the master bedroom would be in use at first. He didn't want Marik and Bakura to wake up alone from nightmares.

"So," Damien said after all the suitcases had been carried inside and unpacked, and Yugi was done exploring, "Why exactly did you want to leave Japan all of a sudden? Wouldn't taking care of Marik and Bakura be easier with your grandfather around to help?" He was serving tea – English, not the traditional Japanese green – while Yugi sat at the table with a dark on each knee.

"Maybe," Yugi nodded thoughtfully. "However, Japan was becoming a bit too… crowded for us. Did Grandpa tell you about Magic and Wizards? It's called Duel Monsters now."

"He might have mentioned it. A collectible card game, right?"

"Yes. It may seem strange, but there's been a lot of attention on players since the creator of the game held a tournament he called 'Duelist Kingdom'. I won that tournament, and haven't had a peaceful day since."

"Really? What was so special about this tournament?"

"The prize was three million U.S. dollars and all the creator's shares in his major gaming company."

Damien choked on his tea. When he could talk again, he exclaimed, "Sugoroku didn't mention that! He told me we were working on money from your parents!"

Slightly amused by the older man's consternation but determined not to show it, Yugi replied, "He was telling the truth. I gave the three million to a friend to pay for his sister's eye operation. She would have gone blind otherwise." He shook his head. "But that's not the point. I've won one other major tournament and a few smaller ones, and people recognize me wherever I go. I had a …falling out with my friends, mostly over Marik and Bakura. They didn't like the idea of me adopting these two because of their backgrounds. Without their support, it would have been very hard for me to raise the boys. So I decided a new start was in order."

The former archaeologist looked thoughtful. "Here you can concentrate on raising the boys, not dueling, as Duel Monsters isn't that popular here."

"Exactly. And Marik and Bakura… They're not well." Yugi's tone was sad. "They are far from well and will need my undivided attention to get better. Here I can give them that and nothing less."

"You are just as kind as your grandfather said," Damien told Yugi, fetching a plate of biscuits from one of the cupboards. "People like you are very rare."

"So they tell me." Yugi handed a biscuit to each of the boys. Bakura tore into his immediately, and it only took a few minutes for Marik to follow suit. Yugi chuckled, and when Damien glanced at him, he said, "Marik is usually much more cautious about his food. Either they didn't like the meals on the plane, or these biscuits are the best food they've ever had."

Damien laughed. "Probably both! My wife Mirielle made the biscuits, she's an excellent baker. I'm sorry I didn't think to get them before. You three must be starved! If you don't mind, I could pick up Mirielle and bring her over after school gets out, and we could make you a proper English meal."

Yugi told Damien, "That would be wonderful. I'm worn out, and these two are probably extremely hungry."

"Excellent!"

They chatted for a little while longer, then Damien left to get Mirielle. Yugi took the opportunity to give the boys a quick bath, brush their teeth, and do his best to tame their hair. After such a long day, both boys were unusually calm, and Yugi tucked them into bed with a minimum of fussing. He whispered softly to them, reiterating his promises on the plane and stroking their wild hair until they fell asleep. He then took a moment to refresh himself, though found his own hair to be a lost cause. He had just arrived back downstairs when he saw Damien's car pull into the driveway. Damien and a plump woman of the same age stepped out, and Yugi went to the door to greet them.

Mirielle had a firm handshake and a gentle smile, and Yugi liked her almost immediately. She had a rather maternal attitude, but remained reserved enough to avoid coming off as smothering or overbearing. She did not poke around in Yugi's luggage, or ask why a sixteen year old boy moved across the world to raise two unrelated toddlers. Instead, she told him about the house and the neighborhood, mentioning that there were two boys of a similar age to Marik and Bakura next door. She was practical and efficient, but also caring, and Yugi spoke without thinking. "Your students must adore you."

Mirielle took in his words and embarrassed blush, then replied, "Only when they've done their homework." Damien, who had remained silent for the majority of the conversation, laughed out loud. "I wrote a textbook and retired," he said, "but if Mirielle tried to leave the school, all the students would riot."

The woman in question shot her husband a meaningful glance and he quieted down, though a broad grin remained on his face. Yugi also smiled. The Sherlocks were very kind people. He was not at all embarrassed to tell Mirielle, "If I had a teacher like you, I would have been a much better student."

"Oh, thank you, dear. Really, though, I can tell you're quite intelligent. Not only are you quite articulate - especially considering English is your second language! - but you've been attentive to my rambling and your questions about the cost of living and public services were very insightful."

"Well, I would hardly consider your introduction to Little Whinging 'rambling', and I must admit to having studied British economics and lifestyle prior to the move." Yugi remembered playing 'Aptitude Test Rankings Bingo' with Jounouchi and Honda, and his good mood faded. " I was never too concerned with grades..."

"Sugoroku mentioned you'd left your education unfinished." Mirielle stated, ignoring Yugi's dejected comment.

"Yes, and I suspect it will remain that way for a few years, though I'd like to get a degree and job. Right now I think raising the boys will be my full time job."

Mirielle nodded decisively. Damien, on the other hand, asked Yugi, " Not that I would ever question someone for wanting an education, but why are you concerned about a job? From the budget we had to get this place set up and conversation with your grandpa, I got the impression you could support yourself and your boys comfortably until they're through university."

Yugi had never spoken to his friends about his family. Anzu had known him long enough to understand his mother's presence was rare and his father's nonexistent. As far as he knew, the rest of the group was under the impression they traveled for business, leaving him with his grandfather. He never corrected them. His parents were a dark spot in his life.

And yet... He found it easy to speak to Mirielle and Damien about his flighty, secretive mother and unknown father. They understood why using his inheritance was so distasteful to him. Speaking to the elderly couple was soothing.

Perhaps, Yugi thought, England was more than a safe haven for Marik and Bakura. It could be his as well.

AN: Don't kill me please...

This has been hanging out on my computer for a long time as I struggled with trying to live up to esama's legacy. I'm just going to have to do what I can with what I have, and that's what you'll get.


End file.
